Double acting mercury piston oil well pump



July 19, 1960 B, F. SCHMIDT DOUBLE ACTING MERCURY PIsToN on. WELL PUMP Filed sept. 24, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VENTOR en/'61Min I' 'fmidz:

ATTORNEY di Il July 19, 1960v B. F. SCHMIDT DOUBLE ACTING MERCRY PISTON OIL WELL PUMP Filed sept. 24, 195e 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY rrrz a @WSW e M y@ 1 1 v\ \n7 a A12,945,450 `inherited July 19, 1960 DOUBLE ACTING MERCURY PISTON UIL NELL PUMP Benjamin F. Schmidt, Los Angeles, Calif. (450 Fairview Ave., Sierra Madre, Calif.)

rated sept. 24, 1956, ser. No. 611,511

3 Claims. (ci. 10s-165) body, whereby movement of the reciprocal piston will be transmitted through the 'bodies of lubricating oil to the mercury body so as to cause the latter to act as a piston and effect a pumping action on liquid being pumped.

Another object of the invention is to provide a construction in a pump of the above character which is applicable in the production of either a single acting or a double acting pump.

The general purpose of the invention is to provide an A oil well pump fof the reciprocal piston type wherein the piston is shrouded in a body of rened lubricating oil superimposed upon intercommunicating bodies of mercury interposed between the lubricating oil and the crude oil being acted on and passed through the pump to discharge, whereby granules carried by the oil being pumped are prevented from contacting and abrading the working surfaces of the pump piston and its encompassing cylinder.

With the above purpose in view a further object is to lprovide a double acting mercury piston oil well pump which includes a pair of mercury pistons embodied in alternately actuated pumping elements wherein the mercuryl pistons are actuated through the medium of a single reciprocal pump piston.

A further object is to provide constructions whereby the mercury actuated pumps may be arranged in a pump housing either in parallel relation to each other or in a tandem or in-line arrangement.

With the foregoing objects [and purposes in view, together with such other objects and advantages as may subsequently appear, the invention resides in the parts and in the combination and 'arrangement of parts hereinafter set forth and illustrated by lway of example in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a view in vertical section with portions broken away and schematic in part, showing the invention applied to a double acting pump embodying a pair of pump chambers in aligned or tandem `arrangement and showing the parts as arranged on initial upstroke of the pump piston; Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. l showing the parts as arranged on initial downstroke of the piston;

Fig. 3 is a view in cross section taken on the line 3-,-3 .of Fig. l; Fig. 4 is a view in cross section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a view in section with portions broken away and showing parts in elevation of the lower end portion of -a single acting pump embodying the invention;

Fig. 6 is a view in section and elevation with portions broken away showing the upper portion of the pump applicable to the upper end `of the structure shown in Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a view in horizontal section and plan taken on the line 7-7 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 8 is a section taken on the line 8 8 of Fig. 5; and

Fig. 9 is a section t-akenon the line 9-9 of Fig. 6.

The pump structure las here shown embodies axially aligned vertically extending interconnected lower and upper sections A' and B. =In the construction shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive the lower pump section A embodies a pair of axially aligned vertically extending lower and upper tubular housings 65 and 66 the adjacent ends of which connect with a cylindrical partition 67 which joins the housings 65 yand 66 and separates the interiors thereof from each other. The lower end of the housing 65 connects with an intake tube 68 and is litted with an end wall 69 formed with an intake passage 70, fitted with a foot valve 71 opening to an intake chamber 72. A standing tube 73 leads upwardly from the chamber 72 which tube is tted -at its upper end with a normally closed separately opening valve 74. Encompassing the standing tube 73 is a .pump tube 75 which extends between the end wall 69 and the partition 67 and encloses a pump chamber 76. The upper end of the pump cylinder 75 is provided with a discharge passage 77 fitted with `a normally closed upwardly opening valve 78 which passage 77 communicates with a passage 79 formed in the partition 67 and leading to the exterior thereof and connecting with a discharge conduit 80 leading upwardly and opening to the interior of a tubular housing 81 embodied in the upper pump section B.

The upper housing 66 of the lower pump section A is fitted with a lower end wall 82 which abuts the partition 67 and is provided with an intake chamber 83 connecting with an intake passage 84 in the partition 67 and opening to the side of the latter Aand which passage 8-4 is fitted with a normally closed foot valve 85. Extending upwardly from the chamber 83 is a standing tube 86 fitted at its upper end with a normally closed valve 87 which opens to a pump chamber 88 formed by a pump tube 89 encompassing the standing tube 86 and extending between the end wall 82 and an upper end wall 90 carried by the upper end of the housing 66. The upper end of the tube 89 is provided with ia discharge passage 91 tted with a normally closed upwardly opening valve 92 and ,leading to la passage 93 in the end wall 90 leading to a passage 94 in the lower end wall 95 of the housing 81 which leads to the interior of the latter.

The interiors of the pump tubes 75-89 constitute pump chambers 76-88 which are partially filled with -mercury bodies L and M respectively, and the spaces interiorly ofthe housings 65--66 surrounding the pump tubes 75--89 constitute pressure chambers 96-97 re* -spectively, the lower portions of which chambers are partially filled with mercury bodies N `and O which are normally joined with the mercury bodies L and M respectively through passage 98-99 leading from the lower end portions of the tubes 75 and 89 and opening to the ypressure chambers 96-97 through valve housings 100- -101 fitted with normally open oat valves 102-103 operable to close the passageways 98--99 on lowering of the mercury bodies N and O to a predetermined level to prevent their evacuation.

The upper pump section BV shown in Figs. l and 2 is fitted with an upwardly extending pump cylinder 45 carried, on the end wall axially of the housing 81 and spaced therefrom and leading from the lower end of the 3. pump cylinder is a passage 46 extending downwardly through the walls 95 and 90 and opening tothe upper end of the pressure chamber 97 formed in the lower pump section A between the pump tube 89j and the housing 66.

The upper end of the pump cylinder 45 is fitted with a head 47 between which and the end wall 95 `extends a cylindrical shell48 disposed in spaced concentric relation to the cylinder 45 to afford a chamber 49 between the cylinder 45 and the shell 48 which chamber Vopens to the upper end of the cylinder 45 through openings 50 in the latter and opens at its lower end to the pressure chamber 96 through a passage 104 leading through the end wall 95 and connecting with a conduit 105 leading to a passage 106 in the wall 67 opening to the upper end of the pressure chamber 96 in the lower portion of the pump section A.

The pump cylinder 45 is fitted with a reciprocal piston 52 mounted on a piston rod 53 leading upwardly through the cylinder head 47' to a suitable operating mechanism, not shown, for effecting reciprocation of the rod and piston.V The cylinder head 47' is tted with a packing gland 54 through which the rod 53' slidably extends.

Interposed between the shell 48 and the housing 81 intermediate thereof is a cylindrical shell 55' which is carried on the end wall 95 and projects upwardly therefrom to a point adjacent the cylinder head 47 there being a passage 56 between the shell 55' and the interior of the pump housing 81 which opens at its upper end to the latter and to the lower end portion of which the conduit 80 opens whereby pumped uid delivered through the conduit 80 by the pumping element in the lower housing 65, as will be later described, will flow to discharge through the pump housing 81 from the passage 56.

Extending between the cylindrical walls 48 and 55 is a cylindrical shell 59 which extends above the upper end of the shell 55. A disk 60 affords a closure for the upper end of the shell 59 through which the piston rod 53 extends. The lower portion of the space between the walls 48-55' is occupied by a body of mercury P into which extends the lower end of the shell 59 whereby the open lower end of the latter is maintained in a mercury seal. The space interiorly of the shell 59 above the mercury body P is occupied by a body of lubricating oil Q.

A passageway d6' leads downwardly from the interior of the lower end of the pump cylinder 45' through the walls 95-90 and opens to the upper end of the pressure chamber 97.

A body R of lubricating oil occupies the space above the mercury body N in the pressure chamber 96, conduit 105, passage 104, chamber 49 openings 50 and the interior of the pump cylinder 45 above the piston 52', and a body S of lubricating oil occupies the space above the mercury body O in the pressure chamber 97, passage 46 and the interior of the cylinder 45 beneath the piston 52.

On upstroke of the piston 52' from the position shown in Fig. l a portion of the body R of lubricating oil thereabove will be directed through the openings 50 into and down the chamber 49 and from thence through the passage 104, conduit 105 and passage 106 into the pressure chamber 96 in the lower housing 65 thereby displacing the mercury body N therein andforcing a prtion thereof into the pump chamber 76 so as to force a portion of the crude oil therein upwardly toward discharge through the valved passage 79 and conduit 80 into the housing 81. At the same time a quantity of crude oil will enter the standing tube 86 through the intake passage 84 and flow into the pumping chamber 88 above the mercury body M therein for subsequent discharge. Y

Manifestly by the construction shown inFigs. 1 to 4 inclusive and above described, a double acting mercury piston pump is provided in which a pair of mercury piston pumping elements actuated by a single reciprocal piston are disposed in longitudinal alignment which arrangement is highly advantageous where narrowness of the pump structure is necessary or desirable, it being possible to construct the pump for insertion in a well casing having an internal diameter of two inches or less. Such a small diameter pump is formed of considerable length to attain adequate capacity.

In operation of the pump above described on submerging the pump in a body of crude oil in a Well, portions of such oil will flow into the pump through the intakes 79 and 84 and standing tubes 73-86 into the pump chambers 76-88 above the surfaces of the mercury bodies L and M and into and through the conduit and passage 88-89 into the discharge passage 56. On reciprocation of the piston 52 upstroke thereof will act to displace the portion of the body R of lubricating oil in the cylinder 45 above the piston 52' which displaced oil will ilow outwardly through the openings 50 thence down through the chamber 49', passage 104, conduit 105, passage 106 into the pressure chamber 96 so as to effect displacement of the mercury body N by forcing a portion of the latter through passage 98 into the pump chamber 76 thereby raising the mercury body L in the latter together with the body of crude oil superimposed on the latter thus elevating such crude oil and directing a portion thereof upwardly through the passage 77 past the valve 78 thence through the passage 79 and conduit\ 80 into the discharge passage 56. This upstroke of the piston 52 will also act to induct or permit the ow of a portion of the body S of lubricating oil from the pressure chamber 97 into the lower end of the cylinder 45' beneathV the piston 52. The mercury body O will follow the oil body S in the chamber 97 and will be replaced by mercury which will then flow from the body M thereof in the pump chamber 38 passing through the passage 99. Crude oil will then enter the upper portion of the pump chamber 88 from the standing tube 86 and intake passage 84 to charge said chamber above the lowering mercury body M therein.

Downstroke of the piston 52 will effect a reverse operation of the pumping action just described; such downstroke effecting delivery from the pump chamber 88 of the portion of the body of intaken crude oil through the discharge passage 91, passages4 93-94 into and through the chamber 56', and at the same time inducting or permitting intake of crude oil into the pump chamber 76 through the standing tube 73, thus rendering the pump double acting. For the purpose of illustration, the conduits S0 and 105 are shown as disposed exteriorly of the pump housing, but in practice they preferably will be arranged interiorly of the pump housing.

All surfaces in the pump that are contacted at any time by the mercury bodies are silvered. Such surfaces embody the surfaces contacted `by mercury within the pressure chambers 96 and 97 including the lower portion of the inner faces of the housings 65-66 and the exteriors of the pump tubes 75-89, the bottoms of the chambers 96-97 and the outer and inner surfaces of the parts of the valves 100-101, and also include the surfaces within the lower portions of the pump chambers 76-88, ybeing the lower inner portions of the pump tubes 75-89 and the exteriors of the standing tubes 73-86 as well as the lower ends of the pump chambers 76-88. The silvered surfaces also embody the outer lower portion of the shell 48', the inner lower portion of the shell 55', and the inner and outer lower end portion of the shell 59.

In the construction shown in Figs. 5 to 9 inclusive cer- `tain features of the invention are shown as applied to a 75 pump section A2 is fitted with a lower end wall 112 pro- Y the standing tube 116 and the housing 110 forming between the shell 119 and the housing 110 a pressure chamber 120 and forming between the shell and the standing tube a pump chamber 121. The shell 119 is equipped at its upper end with a discharge passage 122 whichleads to a passage 123 in the end wall 11'8 and is itted with a normally closed ball valve 124.

The lower portions of the pressure chamber 120 and pump chamber 121 are occupied by mercury bodies T Aand U respectively which are joined at their lower portions through a passage 125 leading through the shell 119 which passage vleads through a valve housing 126 fitted with a normally open iioat valve 127 operable to close thepassageway 125 onV lowering of the mercury body T to a predetermined level to vprevent its evacuation. v,

The pump housing 111 of the upper section B2 is provided with a lower end wall 12S adapted to seat on the upper end wall `118 ofthe lower pump housing which lwalls collectively constitute a partition separating the interiors of the lower and upper pump sections from each other. The upper pump section B2 substantially corresponds in its elements to the pump structure B1 previously described; it embodying a pump cylinder 129 carried on the end wall 128 and extending axially of the housing 111 in spaced concentric relation thereto. A reciprocal piston 130 is mounted in the cylinder 129 and is carried on a piston 131 leading upwardly through the usual pump tubing connected with the housing 111 to conventional operating mechanism whereby the piston 130 may be reciprocated.

A passage 132 in the end wall 128 leads from the interior of the lower end of the piston cylinder 129 to a passage or passages 133 in the wall 118 leading to the upper end of the pressure chamber 120.

`Carried on the wall 128 is a cylindrical shell 134 which encompasses the cylinder 129 in spaced relation thereto which shell extends above the upper end of the cylinder 129 and opens to the interior of the housing 111 through openings 135. A space 136 between the shell 134 and the housing 111 opens to passages 137 in the end wall 128 connecting with passages 138 in the end wall 118 leading to the discharge passage 123 in said end wall. Mounted on the piston 130 in spaced relation to the upper end of the cylinder 129 when the piston is in its lowermost position is a collar 139 on which is dependently supported a cylindrical sleeve 140 which extends downwardly into the space 141 between the cylinder `129 and the shell 134. The lower portion of the space 141 is occupied by a body V of mercury into which the lower end of the sleeve 140 extends to provide a mercury trap for the lower end of the sleeve 140. A body W of lubricating oil occupies the space surrounding the cylinder 129 and piston 130, and a body X of lubricating oil occupies the space in the pump cylinder below the piston 130 and formed by the passage 132-133 and chamber 120 above the mercury body T. All the surfaces in the pump that at any time are contacted by the mercury bodies are silvered which surfaces embody the lower portion of the inner face of the housing 110 and the lower portion of the exterior of the pump tube 119, the bottom of the pump chamber 120 and the outer and inner surfaces of the parts of the valves 126, and also include the lower portion of the inner face of the pump tube 119, the exterior of the standing tube 116 and the lower end of the pump chamber 121. The silvered surfaces also embody the shell 134, the inner and outer f aces of the shell 140 'and the lower end of the chamber 141.

In the operation of the pump shown in Figs. 5 to 9 inclusive, on submerging the pump in an upright position in liquid, as in a well, liquid will ow into the pump through the inlet 113 past the valve 115 into the chamber 114 and thence through the standing tube 116 past the valve 1'17 into the chamber 121 and iilling the latter in superimposed relation to the mercury body U. The liquid also flows through the passages 122, 123, 2138 and 137 into the discharge passage 136 and may enter the interior of the pump housing 111 above the pump ele- ,ment therein.

On upstroke of `the piston the body X of lubricating oil in the cylinder 129 beneath the piston 130 and superimposed on the mercury body T will be inducted at least in part into the cylinder 129 thereby displacing the mercury bodies T and U to lower the mercury body U and thereby induct well liquid into the pump chamber 121 through the standing tube 1-16 thereby charging the pump chamber with the liquid on termination of the upstroke of the piston 130.

Downstroke of the piston 130: causes downward displacement of the lubricating oil body X and mercury body T with resultant upward displacement of the mercury body U whereby well liquid in the pump chamber 121 will then be caused to flow toward discharge through the passages 122, 123, 138, 137 and 136, and Without coming in contact with the working surfaces of the pump piston.

While I have shown and described speciiic embodiments of the invention it is not limited to the exact details of construction set forth, and the invention embraces such changes, modifications and equivalents of the parts and their formation and arrangement as come within the purview of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In an oil well pump; a pump housing having therein a pair of pump chambers disposed in tandem relation to each other one above the other and having a pressure chamber encompassing each of said pump chambers and a passage connecting each of said pump chambers to the adjacent pressure chamber; a body of mercury in each of said chambers leading through said passage; valved intake means in said housing for independently delivering well liquid into superimposed relation to the bodies of mercury in said pump chambers; a discharge tube extended longitudinally from the uppermost of said pump and pressure chambers; a passage leading from the upper end of the upper pump chamber to the interior of said discharge tube; ya conduit leading from the upper end of the lower purnp chamber to the interior of said discharge tube; a pump cylinder in said tube a conduit connecting the interior of one end of said pump cylinder with the upper end of one of said pressure chambers; a conduit connecting the interior of the other end of said pump cylinder to the upper end of the other of said pressure chambers; a reciprocal piston in said cylinder; and bodies of refined lubricating oil superimposed on the bodies of mercury in said pressure chambers and occupying the spaces thereabove leading into said pump cylinder and extending on opposite sides of said piston.

- 2. In a double acting mercury piston oil well pump, a pair of silver lined pump cylinders arranged one above the other having upper and lower ends, an intake and discharge valve for crude oil in each of said cylinders, a silver plated standing tube extending upwardly from each of said intake valves to a point below and adjacent the said discharge valve in each cylinder, a check valve on the upper end of each of said standing tubes, a silver coated tubular member in each of said silver lined cylinders connected to the upper and lower ends of said cylinders and surrounding the standing tubes in spaced relation thereto, a body of mercury interiorly of each of `said Ytubular members and surrounding and in contact with said standing tubes, a body of mercury surrounding the outside of said standing tubular members and in con- .tact therewith and in ilow communication with the mercury interiorly of the members, a body of operating uid in each of said cylinders superimposed on top of each of the outside bodies of mercury and lling each of said cylinders, operating iluid ow connections to the upper end of each of said cylinders, and a double acting pump mechanism on the upper of said pump cylinders 'for flowing operating lluid in and out of each of said cylinders to produce a pumping action therein upon op eration of said pumping mechanism.

3. In a double acting mercury piston oil well pump, a first silver lined pumping cylinder vhaving upper and lower closed ends, an intake valve in the lower end and a discharge valve in the upper end, a second silver lined pumping cylinder having upper and lower closed ends, an intake valve in the lower end and a discharge valve in the upper end of said second cylinder, said cylinders arranged one above the other, a silver plated standing tube in the rst silver lined cylinder to which the intake valve for said first cylinder opens, a silver plated standing tube in the second silver lined cylinder to which the intake valve for said second cylinder opens, a silver plated tube inside of the iirst silver lined cylinder and attached to the lower and upper ends of said cylinder surrounding the rst named standing tube in spaced relation thereto to the iirst named cylinder and surrounding the discharge valve in the upper end of the latter, a silver plated tube inside of the second silver lined cylinder and attached to the lower and upper ends of said cylinder and surrounding the second named standing tube in spaced relation thereto and to the second named cylinder and surrounding the second named-discharge valve, Vsaid silver `plated tube Vin the first pump cylinder having a controlled passageway therein, the silver plated tube in the second pump cylinder having'a controlled passageway therein, a quantity of mercury in each of said silver plated tubes, a quantity of mercury on the outside of each of said silver plated tubes, a body of operating l fluid retained on the outside of each of said silver plated References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,342,798 Farrand ---c June 9, Y1920 1,579,734 Pearson Apr. 6, 1926 2,023,559 Wainford Dec. 10, 1935 2,269,789 Schmidt Ian. 13, 1942 2,279,498 Schmidt Apr. 14, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS 692,056 France July 28, 1930 

